31.1. Control passive: -təŋ
| kʷənáŋətəŋ cn. | ‘I was helped’ or |
| ‘He/she/it/they helps/help me’ or | |
| ‘Someone helps me.’ | |
| kʷənáŋətəŋ st. | ‘We were helped’ or |
| ‘He/she/it/they helps/help us’ or | |
| ‘Someone helps us.’ | |
| kʷənáŋətəŋ cxʷ. | ‘You were helped’ or |
| ‘He/she/it/they helps/help you.’ or | |
| ‘Someone helps you.’ | |
| kʷənáŋətəŋ cxʷ hay. | ‘You folks were helped’ or |
| ‘He/she/it/they helps/help you folks’ or | |
| ‘Someone helps you folks.’ | |
| kʷənáŋətəŋ. | ‘He/she/it/they was/were helped’ or |
| ‘He/she/it/they helps/help him/her/it/them’ or | |
| ‘Someone helps him/her/it/them.’ |
► 1 The control passive is formed with ‑təŋ at the end of the verb.
► 2 Notice that in each example it is the subject that is undergoing the action.
► 3 Notice that each of the Klallam sentences has three possible English translations.
► 4 The control passive implies that there is an actor who is in control.
► 5 Review models for the object pronouns listed in §7.1 and §7.2. Notice that there is no example given for ‘he/she/it/they helps/help me’ or for ‘he/she/it/they helps/help you.’
To translate English sentences with a ‘he/she/it/they’ into Klallam, you must use a passive sentence. There is no way in Klallam to say a sentence meaning ‘he helped me’ except with the passive.
► 6 The last of the models shows the only situation in which the passive is optional, as in English. The passive is optional only if both subject and object are ‘he/she/it/they.’ Compare:
kʷənáŋəts ‘He/she/it/they helped him/her/it/them’
kʷənáŋətəŋ ‘He/she/it/they was/were helped’
Some complications: Shifting vowels and the i stems
Before we can begin translation exercises with the passive, we must cover some basic rules of Klallam pronunciation that complicate the grammar a little. This section will probably have to be read several times before it begins to sink in. Do not let this complication hold up your progress. If the concepts are still not gelling for you after you have read through this a few times and worked through the exercises, go on to the next section. You can come back to this later.A Klallam word is composed of a stem or root and may have one or more suffixes or prefixes. You will remember from the Basics chapter that a root is the fundamental, indivisible part of the word that gives its basic meaning. A stem is a root that may have prefixes or suffixes attached and can have more prefixes or suffixes attached. A Klallam root usually has two consonants and one vowel. So, for example, the root mis‑ means ‘choose’. It is also a stem, since it can have other prefixes and suffixes attached. Adding the ‑t transitive suffix, making the word míst ‘choose it,’ creates a new stem, to which we can add other suffixes like the object suffixes and the passive suffix. We are going to concentrate right now on stems and suffixes.
There are three basic kinds of stems in Klallam: weak stems, strong stems, and zero stems. The difference among these types has to do with what happens to the accented vowel when suffixes are added.
In weak stems the accented vowel moves to the right, switching places with the consonant to the right. An example of a weak stem is mis‑ ‘choose.’ When a suffix is added, the i and the s change places, that is, the i moves to the right of the s. So, míst ‘choose it’ becomes məsítəŋ ‘is chosen’ when the passive suffix is added (the schwa after m is inserted to help pronunciation).
In strong stems the accented vowel does not move. An example of a strong stem is x̣ač‑ ‘dry.’ When a suffix is added to this stem, the vowel stays where it is. So x̣áčt ‘dry it’ becomes x̣áčtəŋ when the passive suffix is added.
In zero stems there is no accented vowel. A schwa (ə) gets inserted after the stem to help pronunciation. An example of a zero stem is ƛ̓kʷ‑ ‘take.’ So the transitive becomes ƛ̓kʷə́t ‘take it.’ And the passive is ƛ̓kʷə́təŋ ‘is taken.’
This brings us to i stems. Some zero stems can take a special ‑i suffix to make a new stem. This ‑i suffix has been called ‘persistent’ because of the meaning it adds. Here are some examples of basic stems with and without the ‑i:
Without ‑i With ‑i
ƛ̓kʷə́t ‘take it’ ƛ̓kʷít ‘hold it’
x̣čə́t ‘figure it out’ x̣čít ‘know it’
You can see that the ‑i adds the meaning of ‘persistence’ or ‘continuing result.’ Holding something is the continuing result of taking it. Knowing something is the continuing result of figuring it out.
When these i stems occur with the passive, the i moves to the right of the t. As an example, the stem ƛ̓kʷ‑ ‘take’ with i and the ‑t transitive becomes ƛ̓kʷit ‘hold it.’ This then becomes ƛ̓kʷtiŋ when the passive suffix is added.
This table summarizes weak, strong, zero, and i stems when the event is controlled:
| Control stems | Before | What happens when ‑əŋ is added | After |
| Weak stems e.g., mis‑ ‘choose’ | míst ‘choose it’ | vowel moves to right with passive suffix | məsítəŋ ‘is chosen’ |
| Strong stems e.g., x̣ač‑ ‘dry’ | x̣áčt ‘dry it’ | vowel stays in place | x̣áčtəŋ ‘is dried’ |
| Zero stems e.g., ƛ̓kʷ‑ ‘take’ | ƛ̓kʷə́t ‘take it’ | basic stem has no vowel but ə gets inserted to take stress | ƛ̓kʷə́təŋ ‘is taken’ |
| i stems e.g., ƛ̓kʷ‑i‑ ‘take’ + i = ‘hold’ | ƛ̓kʷít ‘hold it’ | zero stem with ‑i suffix, which moves to right with passive suffix | ƛ̓kʷtíŋ ‘is held’ |
Here are some basic rules of thumb (C = consonant):
1. Zero stems ending in t always have this shape: CCə́t
2. i stems ending in t always have this shape: CCít
3. There is no way to tell if a stem is weak or strong just from the stem ending in t. However, most other stems are weak stems.
Appendix I has a list of Klallam passives. If you cannot look up the stem or ask an elder, your best bet is that it is a weak stem.
 | kʷənáŋətəŋ cn ʔaʔ cə nətán. | ‘My mother helped me.’ |
 | kʷənáŋətəŋ u cxʷ ʔaʔ či ʔuʔx̣ən̓áɬ. | ‘Does she always help you?’ |
| húy cn ʔuʔ čáy ʔaʔ či ʔuʔŋən̓áɬ. | ‘I work alone many times.’ |
| níɬ kʷi nəsx̣ənʔátəŋ. | ‘That’s what I was told.’ |